Solar Energy

Both President Ronald Reagan and President George H. W. Bush, when President 22-35 years ago, were well aware of the growing dangers of climate change, and spoke up on the issue and called for changes in policy.

But since the elder Bush left the White House in 1993, the Republican Party has turned against science and reality, and the party is strongly and vehemently against any action on the growing environmental crisis, undermining any efforts to deal with the growing evidence that the globe is threatened in the next 25-50 years and beyond. Republican Presidential candidates have refused to address the issue, and Congressional leaders ignore it completely.

Lack of action will lead to an ever growing wave of revolution, terror, and bloodshed as those who are already poor and deprived rise up in reaction to the reality that climate change will affect them more directly and sooner, without the ability to escape the horrors of flooding, drought, and the effects of growing temperatures affecting hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather phenomenon.

It is clear that action must be taken to prevent the energy industries—oil, coal, natural gas—from focusing only on profits, and ignoring the long range effects of their industries on climate and weather changes. The promotion of wind, solar energy and safe nuclear energy, and the newest technologies to prevent massive damage from the energy industries, must be pursued!

This is one of the top challenges facing the next President, and it is evident that only if a Democratic President is in the White House in 2017. will anything be done on this crucial matter!

During the administration of President Jimmy Carter, a much maligned President, unappreciated then and now, we had the oil embargo brought on by the Arabs in the Middle East, and Carter decided to promote the concept of solar panels as a better form of long term energy supply than oil, natural gas and coal, seeing the need for a change in US energy policy. This included the establishment of the Energy Department as a new cabinet position.

So Carter arranged in 1979 for installation of solar panels on the White House, a great symbol of our need to change our energy policies.

But seven years later, after much ridicule by the administration of his successor, Ronald Reagan, the solar panels were taken off the White House, as Reagan made clear that he was going to be captive to the oil and coal industries, and concern himself only with their profits, and ignore conservation and the environment, thus helping to accelerate the global warming and climate change crisis, which even now, the Republican Party refuses to accept as reality!

But now, 27 years later, President Barack Obama has reinstalled solar panels, repudiating Reagan and backing Carter in his vision of the energy and environmental future of solar power.

This is to be commended, although the powerful oil, natural gas, and coal industries will continue their lobbying, as their only goal is profit, not concern over the future of the planet.

So the battle over future energy supplies and climate change continues unabated, as the GOP proves yet again, their lack of concern for the long term future, only concerned about capitalistic profit in the present! It is as if they have their heads in the sand, and live in a world of illusion!

It is clear that the ONLY way to economic recovery is promoting infrastructure, innovation and education as the goals for our future!

It is estimated that $2.2 trillion in investments is needed in infrastructure in rebuilding of our rail systems, roads, highways, bridges and river systems over the next ten years, and this can be done by bond issues that will repay the costs over 30-50 years, with only a small investment of billions of dollars to get it started. Our national security and economic future demand such an investment!

At the same time, innovation in energy is essential for our future as well, so that we can wean ourselves off of oil, which has led us to military involvement in the Middle and Near East to preserve oil supplies. Solar and wind energy have to be part of our long term future, and we need to have imagination and vision if we are to have a prosperous and secure future!

Finally, education is essential on a much wider scale, providing opportunity for advancement in all fields of knowledge, and allowing college students the ability to have a future not burdened by excessive debts that prevent investment in homes, automobiles and other economic needs. So the move for cancelling the debt by having the government pay it, much like they did for banks and corporations and insurance companies, would be a great boost to the long term economy and cause an immediate economic revival!

Without vision in these three areas, no matter which party controls the White House and Congress, there will be no advancement of economic growth and national security for the short run and the long run!